Sony Pictures warns news organizations against using hacked documents

Sony Pictures Entertainment has warned media outlets against using information contained in documents leaked by hackers who infiltrated the company’s computer systems last month.

Many well-known publications including The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and more, have published reports revealing that they have received a letter from Sony’s attorney David Boies, one of the country's most high profile litigators, asking them to either destroy the stolen information or face consequences.

“We are writing to ensure that you are aware that SPE does not consent to your possession, review, copying, dissemination, publication, uploading, downloading or making any use of the stolen information,” the letter read, warning media outlets that they will be held responsible for any damage or loss if they fail to comply with Sony’s request.

The letter also noted that the leak is the result of an on-going campaign that aims to prevent the movie studio from distributing a motion picture, adding that the hackers, which claim to be part of a group called Guardians of Peace (GOP), are "using the dissemination of both private and company information for the stated purpose of materially harming SPE unless SPE submits and withdraws the motion picture from distribution."

The film in question is certainly The Interview, a comedy movie about two journalists who are sent to North Korea to assassinate leader Kim Jong Un. Just last week, the hacker group demanded Sony immediately stop showing what it referred to as the “movie of terrorism.”

The letter from Sony comes as a hacker claiming to be a member of GOP sent journalists an eighth batch of stolen files.

Meanwhile, hackers reportedly have plans to release Sony Pictures employees’ emails, adding that those who want to keep their emails from showing up publicly can do so by providing their names as well as business titles to the hacker group.